9. Many years ago, in the neighborhood of Dsilyi`-qojòni, in the Carrizo
Mountains, dwelt a family of six: the father, the mother, two sons, and
two daughters. They did not live all the time in one locality, but moved
from place to place in the neighborhood. The young men hunted rabbits
and wood rats, for it was on such small animals that they all subsisted.
The girls spent their time gathering various wild edible seeds.
10. After a time they went to a place called Tse`-biçà ï (the Wings of
the Rock or Winged Rock), which lies to the east of the Carrizo
Mountains, on a plain. When they first encamped there was no water in
the vicinity and the elder brother went out to see if he could find
some. He observed from the camp a little sandy hillock, covered with
some vegetation, and he determined to see what sort of plants grew
there. Arrived there, he noticed a spot where the ground was moist. He
got his digging stick and proceeded to make a hole in the ground. He had
not dug long when the water suddenly burst forth in great abundance and
soon filled the excavation he had made. He hastened back to the camp and
announced his success. When they left the Carrizo Mountains it was their
intention to go to [¢]epéntsa, the La Plata Mountains, to hunt for food,
and their halt at Tse`-biçà ï was designed to be temporary only; but, now
that they had found abundance of water, the elder brother counseled them
not to hasten on, but to remain where they were for a while. The spring
he developed still exists and is known to the Navajo as Ãobinà kis, or
the One-Eyed Water.
11. The spring was some distance from the camp, and they had but one
wicker water bottle; so the woman, to lighten her labor, proposed that
they should move their goods to the vicinity of the spring, as it was
her task to draw the water. But the old man counseled that they should
remain where they were, as materials for building were close at hand and
it was his duty to erect the hut. They argued long about it; but at
length the woman prevailed, and they carried all their property down
close to the spring. The elder son suggested that it would be well to
dig into the soft sandy soil, in order to have a good shelter; so the
old man selected a sandy hillock, overgrown with grease-wood, and
excavated it near one edge, digging straight down, so as to have a wall
on one side.
12. They had a stone ax-head, with a groove in it. Around this they bent
a flexible twig of oak and tied it with the fibers of the yucca, and
thus they made a handle. The first day after the spring was found the
young men went out and chopped all day, and in the evening brought home
four poles, and while they were gone the old man dug in the hillock. The
next day the young men chopped all day, and at night returned with four
more poles, while their father continued his digging. They worked thus
for four days, and the lodge was finished. They made mats of hay to lie
on and a mat of the same material to hang in the doorway. They made mats
of fine cedar bark with which to cover themselves in bed, for in those
days the Navajo did not weave blankets such as they make now. The soles
of their moccasins were made of hay and the uppers of yucca fibers. The
young men were obliged to go hunting every day; it was only with great
labor they could keep the house supplied with meat; for, as has been
said, they lived mostly on small animals, such as could be caught in
fall traps. These traps they set at night near the burrows, and they
slept close to the traps when the latter were set far from home. They
hunted thus for four days after the house was finished, while their
sisters scoured all the country round in search of seeds.
13. With all their work they found it hard to make a living in this
place. The land was barren; even rats and prairie dogs were scarce, and
the seed bearing plants were few. At the end of the fourth day they held
a consultation, and the old man said they would do better to move on to
the San Juan River, where food was more abundant, and they could trap
and gather seeds as they traveled. They determined to leave, and next
morning broke camp. They journeyed on till they reached the banks of the
San Juan. Here they found abundance of tciltcin (fruit of _Rhus
aromatica_) and of grass seeds, and they encamped beside the river at
night.
14. Next day they traveled up the stream to a place called Tse`çqà ka,
and here again they halted for the night. This place is noted for its
deposits of native salt. The travelers cut some out from under a great
rock and filled with it their bags, made out of the skins of the
squirrels and other small animals which they had captured. Thence they
followed up the river to Tse`¢ezá` (Rock Sticking Up), and thence to
Ãisyà -qojòni (Beautiful Under the Cottonwoods), where they remained a
day and killed two rabbits. These they skinned, disemboweled, crushed
between two stones, bones and all, so that nothing might be lost, put
them into an earthen pot to boil, and when they were sufficiently cooked
they added some powdered seeds to make a thick soup; of all this they
made a hearty meal. The Navajo then had neither horses nor asses; they
could not carry stone metates when they traveled, as they do now; they
ground their seeds with such stones as they could find anywhere. The old
man advised that they should cross the river at this point and he
directed his sons to go to the river and look for a ford. After a time
they returned and related that they had found a place where the stream
was mostly knee deep, and where, in the deepest part, it did not come
above their hips, and they thought all would be able to cross there. The
father named the hour of bihilçòhigi (when it gets warm, i.e., about 10
a.m.), on the morrow, as the time they should ford the San Juan; so
next morning at the appointed time they crossed. They traveled up the
north bank until they came to a small affluent whose source was in
[¢]epéntsa. Here they left the main river and followed the branch until
night approached, when they made camp.
15. They moved on next day and came close to [¢]epéntsa, to a soil
covered with tracks of deer and of other great animals of the chase.
Here they encamped, and on the following morning the young men set out
by different ways in the direction of the mountain to hunt; but at night
they returned empty handed. Thus they hunted four days unsuccessfully.
Every day while his sons were gone the old man busied himself cutting
down saplings with his stone ax and building a house, and the daughters
gathered seeds, which constituted the only food of the family. As the
saplings were abundant and close to the camp, the old man built his
house fast, and had it finished at nightfall on the fourth day, when his
sons returned from their fruitless labors. They entered the lodge and
sat down. They were weary and hungry and their bodies were badly torn by
the thorns and thick copse of the mountains. Their father spoke not a
word to them as they entered; he did not even look at them; he seemed to
be lost in deep contemplation; so the young men said nothing, and all
were silent. At length the old man looked up and broke the silence,
saying, "Aqalà ni cactcini!" (Welcome, my children.) "Again you have
returned to the lodge without food. What does it avail that you go out
every day to hunt when you bring home nothing? You kill nothing because
you know nothing. If you had knowledge you would be successful. I pity
you." The young men made no reply, but lay down and went to sleep.
16. At dawn the old man woke them and said: "Go out, my children, and
build a sweat-house, and make a fire to heat stones for the bath, and
build the sweat-house only as I will tell you. Make the frame of four
different kinds of wood. Put kaç (juniper) in the east, tse`isçázi
(mountain mahogany) in the south, ¢estsì[n] (piñon) in the west, and
awètsal (cliff rose) in the north; join them together at the top and
cover them with any shrubs you choose. Get two small forked sticks, the
length of the forearm, to pass the hot stones into the sweat-house, and
one long stick to poke the stones out of the fire, and let all these
sticks be such as have their bark abraded by the antlers of the deer.
Take of all the plants on which the deer most like to browse and spread
them on the floor of the sweat-house, that we may sit on them." So they
built the lodge as he directed, and lit the fire and heated the stones.
While they were transferring the hot stones from the fire to the lodge
the old man brought out the mats which they used for bedding, and when
all the stones had been put in he hung the mats, one on top of another,
over the doorway. This done the three men went into the sudatory and sat
down to sweat, uttering not a word. When they had perspired sufficiently
they came out and sat down in silence until they were again ready to
submit themselves to the heat. In this way they sweated themselves four
times, keeping all the time a perfect silence, until they emerged for
the last time, when the old man directed his daughters to dig some soap
root and make a lather. In this he bade his sons wash their hair and the
entire surface of their bodies well. When they were thoroughly cleansed,
he sent them out to set twelve stone fall traps, a task which occupied
all the rest of the day. For each trap they buried a flat stone with its
upper side on a level with the surface of the ground; on this they
sprinkled a little earth, so that the rat would suspect nothing; over
this they placed another flat stone, leaning at an angle and supported
by a slender stick, to which were attached berries of the aromatic sumac
as a bait. That night the young men sat up very late talking with their
father, and did not lie down to sleep until after midnight, when, as
their father directed, they lay side by side with their heads to the
east.
17. The elder brother arose early, stirred the embers and made a fire,
and soon the younger awoke. As they sat by the fire warming themselves,
the elder one said: "Younger brother, I had a dream in the night;
I dreamt I killed a buck deer." And the younger replied: "Elder brother,
I, too, had such a dream, but that which I killed was a doe." The old
man heard their words and rose, saying, "It is well, my children; go out
and try again." They went out to visit their traps. The first one they
came to had fallen; they lifted the stone and found under it the body of
a rat. So each one in turn, as they visited it was found to have fallen,
killing in its fall some small animal; and they returned to the lodge
with twelve little creatures for their food. Then the old man told them
to take their bows and arrows and hunt for deer. "Hunt," said he, "to
the east, the west, and the north, if you will, but do not pass to the
south of the lodge." With these instructions they set out, each one in a
different direction. The elder brother had not traveled far when he saw
a herd of deer and shot one of the number. He skinned it, cut it up,
took the backbone, hide, and tallow, and hung the rest in a tree. As he
drew near the house, he saw his younger brother approaching from a
different direction with the hide and meat of a doe. When they entered
the hut, the old man asked which of the two deer was shot first. The
elder brother answered: "I think mine was, for I killed it early this
morning, soon after I left the house."
"Well," said the father, "this skin of the first slain is mine; go and
stretch it and dry it for me with care." After this they went out
hunting every day for twelve days, but fortune seemed to have deserted
them; they killed no more game; and at the end of that time their supply
of meat was exhausted. Then the old man said: "It always takes four
trials before you succeed. Go out once more, and if you kill a deer do
not dress it, but leave it as it is."
18. On the following day they left the lodge together and did not take
separate trails. Soon they killed a deer, and the younger brother said:
"What shall we now do with it, since our father has told us not to skin
it and not to cut it up?" The elder brother said: "I know not. Return to
the lodge and ask our father what we must do." Then the younger brother
returned to his father and the latter instructed him thus: "Cut the skin
around the neck; then carefully take the skin from the head, so as to
remove the horns, ears, and all other parts, without tearing the skin
anywhere. Leave such an amount of flesh with the nose and lips that they
will not shrivel and lose their shape when they dry. Then take the skin
from the body, which skin will again be mine. One of you must take out
the pluck and carry that in the hide to me; the other will bring the
skin of the head and the meat. Let him who bears the pluck come in
advance, and stop not till he comes directly to me, and he must hand it
to me and to no one else." The younger brother went back and told all
this to the elder. They dressed the deer as they were bidden; the
younger put the pluck in the skin and went in advance, and the elder
followed with the venison and the skin of the head. When they reached
the hogán, the father said: "Where is the atcai?" (pluck) and the
younger said: "It is in the skin." "Take it out," said the old man, "and
hang it on yonder mountain mahogany." The young man did as he was
bidden. The father advanced with his bow and arrow and handed them to
the elder brother, who placed the arrow on the string and held the bow.
The old man put his hands on top of those of his son and together they
drew the bow. The former took careful aim at the pluck and let the arrow
fly. It struck the object and penetrated both heart and lungs so far
that the point protruded on the opposite side. Then the old man told his
son to seize the arrow by the point and draw it completely through,
which was done. Next he made his son stand close to the pluck, looking
towards it, and while his son was in this position he blew on him in the
direction of the pluck. "Now," said the father, "whenever you want to
kill a buck, even if there is neither track nor sign of deer in sight,
you have only to shoot into the tse`isçázi (mountain mahogany,
_Cercocarpus parvifolius_) and you will find a dead deer where your
arrow strikes; while if you wish to kill a female deer you will shoot
your arrow into the awètsal (cliff rose, _Cowania mexicana_) and you
will find a doe there." When all this was done they prepared the skin of
the head, under the old man's directions. To keep the skin of the neck
open they put into it a wooden hoop.
They sewed up the mouth, left the eyeholes open, stuffed the skin with
hay, and hung it in a tree to dry, where it would not get smoky or
dusty. They cut places in the neck through which the hunter might see.
The skin of the doe which the younger brother had killed some time
before, and which had been tanned in the mean time, they painted red and
gray, to make it look like the skin of an antelope. They prepared two
short sticks, about the length of the forearm; these were to enable the
hunter to move with ease and hold his head at the proper height when he
crept in disguise on the deer. During the next four days no work was
done, except that the elder brother practiced in imitating the walk of
the deer.
19. From the camp where these things happened they moved to a place
called Tse`-lakà ï-iá` (White Standing Rock). Before they went to hunt or
gather seeds, the old man desired that they should all help to build the
hogán (hut); so all went to work together, men and women, and the hogán
was completed, inside and outside, in four days.
20. The morning following the completion of the hogán, the father sent
the young men out again, directing them, as before, not to go to the
south. They went off together, and soon espied a herd of deer. The elder
brother put on the deer mask and began to imitate the motions of the
animal, asking his younger brother what he thought of the mimicry. When
the latter gave his approval, the elder brother said, "Steal round to
the other side of the herd and when they see you they will come in my
direction." He waited, and when he saw that his brother had got to the
other side of the herd, he selected a big fat buck as his special
object, and began to move towards him, walking and pawing the ground
like a deer, and rubbing his antlers against the trees. Soon the buck
began to approach the hunter, but the latter kept his head constantly
turned toward the deer the better to maintain his disguise. Presently
the buck came quite close to the Indian, when the latter sped his arrow
and brought the quarry down. They carried the meat home and the old man
demanded that the meat and skin should all be his in payment for his
advice. This was the third time he had advised them and the third time
he had received a gift for his service. He directed that the meat should
be cut into pieces and hung in the trees to dry, and that the skin
should be stretched and dried for his bed.
21. Next day the elder brother desired the younger to stay at home,
saying that he would like to hunt alone. As usual, the old man warned
him against the south, and directed him to hunt in the country north of
the hogán. He set out, accordingly, to the north; but he returned at
night without any game. Again on the following morning he set out alone,
and this time went to the west, as his father had directed. He hunted
all day without success, until near sunset, when it was time for him to
return. Then he remembered what his father had told him of the shrubs
that would always have deer for his arrow. Looking around he saw a cliff
rose, into which he shot his dart, and at the same instant he observed a
deer falling in the shrub. He ran to the spot and found a dead doe. When
he had skinned and dressed it, he could discover no high tree at hand
that he might hang it on to keep it safe from the wolves, so he laid the
meat on the top of the cliff rose, spread the skin over it, stuck an
arrow upright on the top of it, and went home. On his way he often said
to himself, "Why does my father bid me never to go to the south?" He
pondered much on the subject, and before he reached the hut he had
determined to satisfy his curiosity and to go to the south on the first
good opportunity. When he got home he told where he had laid the meat,
and, fearing that the crows or coyotes might get at it, he begged his
brother to hasten and bring it in. When the meat came he asked that a
piece might be broiled for his lunch on the hunt next day. All that
night the thought of his father's prohibition continued to haunt his
mind and would not be dismissed.
22. On the morrow, when he went forth on his hunt, his father gave him
the usual injunctions, saying: "Hunt in any direction from the lodge
that you will; but go not to the south." He departed as if he were going
to the east; but when he got out of sight from the hogán he turned round
to the south and pursued his way in that direction. He went on until he
came to the San Juan River, and he forded it at a place a little above
Beautiful Under the Cottonwoods, where they had crossed it before. He
went on to a place called Tyèl-saka¢ (Erect Cat-Tail Rushes) and thence
to a place called Dsiskâ (Clay Hill). Here he laid his deer skin mask
and his weapons on the ground and climbed the hill to observe the
surrounding country for game. But instead of looking south in the
direction in which he was going he looked to the north, the country in
which dwelt his people. Before him were the beautiful peaks of
[¢]epéntsa, with their forested slopes. The clouds hung over the
mountain, the showers of rain fell down its sides, and all the country
looked beautiful. And he said to the land, "Aqalà ni!" (greeting), and a
feeling of loneliness and homesickness came over him, and he wept and
sang this song:
That flowing water! That flowing water!
My mind wanders across it.
That broad water! That flowing water!
My mind wanders across it.
That old age water! That flowing water!
My mind wanders across it.
23. The gods heard his song and they were about to gratify his wishes.
He was destined to return to [¢]epéntsa, but not in the manner he most
desired. Had he gazed to the south when he ascended the hill, instead of
to the north, it might have been otherwise.
24. He wiped away his tears and went down to the place where he had laid
his mask and arms at the foot of the hill. He put on his buckskin coat
and was just putting on his mask, but had not quite drawn it down over
his head, when he heard a noise to the south and, looking around, he saw
a great crowd on horseback riding towards him. To see better he drew off
his mask, and then observed that they were dividing into two lines as
they advanced; a moment later he was surrounded. The horsemen were of
the tribe of Ute, a people whose language he did not understand. One
young man rode up close to the Navajo, aimed an arrow at the breast of
the latter and drew it to the head; but just as he was about to release
it an old man began to address the party in a loud voice and the young
warrior lowered his arrow and relaxed his bow. Then the speaker
dismounted, approached the captive, and seized him by the arm. For a
long time there was much loud talking and discussion among the Ute. Now
one would harangue the party and then another would make a speech, but
after a while the dispute ceased and the old man motioned to the Navajo
to move on. They made him trot while they followed him on horseback in a
semicircle, so that they could guard him and watch his movements. Soon
they came to Tyèl-saka¢; shortly afterward they crossed the San Juan.
That night they camped near [¢]epéntsa, where they watched him closely
all night and gave him nothing to eat. They bound his feet firmly
together, tied his hands behind his back, and threw an untanned buckskin
over him before they lay down to sleep.
25. They set out on their journey again early in the morning. At
Ãòinçeski` (Scattered Springs) they stopped for a little while to eat,
but the only food they gave the Navajo was the full of his palm of
service berries. When they arrived on the south side of Ãòtsosi (Narrow
Water) they halted for the night and a number went out to hunt. Among
them they secured two deer, one large and one small; the feet of these
they gave to their captive for his supper. Next morning they gave him a
piece of liver, half of which he ate and the rest he kept. They moved on
rapidly and rested for the night at Dsil nahoyà l, where there was a
spring. They had given him nothing to eat all that day, and at night
they gave him nothing; so it was well for him that he had secreted part
of the liver. This he ate after dark. On the third morning he had to set
out fasting and had to go on foot as usual. About noon, however, one of
the Ute took pity on him and lent him a horse to ride, while the owner
of the horse walked all the afternoon. That night they arrived at the
bank of a large river, and here they gave him to understand, by signs,
that this was the last river they would cross until they got home.
Beyond the river there was nothing in sight but a great plain.
26. By the light of the morning, however, on the next day, he discerned
some mountains showing their points faintly above the northern horizon.
To these the Ute pointed and motioned to him to go ahead. They did not
follow him immediately; but saddled up at their leisure while the Navajo
went on. Though he was now for some time alone on the trail and out of
sight of his captors, he knew that he could not escape; all around and
before him was a desert plain where he could not discover a single
hiding place; so he trudged on, tired and hungry and sorrowing, and he
wept all along the way. At noon they gave him another handful of
berries.
27. At night they came to a plain situated between four mountains, one
on the east, one on the south, one on the west, and one on the north,
and here there was a great encampment of Ute, whose tents were scattered
around in different places on the plain. There was one tent whose top
was painted black and whose base was painted white and which had a
forked pole set in the ground in front of it. To this his master, the
old man who had saved his life and taken him by the arm on the occasion
of his capture, led him, while the rest of the war party departed to
their respective tents. The old man hung his own arms and accouterments
on the pole, and the slave, following his example, hung his deer skin
mask and robe on the forks and laid his crutches against the pole, and
he prayed to the head of the deer, saying:
Whenever I have appealed to you, you have helped me, my pet.
Once you were alive, my pet.
Take care that I do not die, my pet.
Watch over me.
When he had finished his prayer an old man came and danced around him,
and when the latter had done an old woman approached with a whistle in
her hand and she whistled all around him. This was for joy because they
had captured one of an alien tribe. Then his master motioned to him to
go into the tent. Here he was given a large bowl of berries of which he
ate his fill, and he was allowed to lie down and sleep undisturbed until
morning.
28. Next morning the Ute began to enter the tent. They came one by one
and in small groups until after a while there was a considerable crowd
present. Then they gave the Navajo to understand by signs that they
wished to know for what purpose he wore the mask and the buckskin. He
answered that he used them for no particular purpose, but only for a
whim. They repeated the question three times very pointedly and
searchingly, but he continued to make evasive replies. The fourth time
they addressed him they charged him to tell the truth and speak quickly,
reminding him that he was a prisoner whose life was in the hands of his
captors and telling him that if he did not disclose the use of his mask
and robe he would be killed before sunset, while if he revealed the
secret his life would be spared. He pondered but a short time over their
words and determined to tell them the truth. So he explained to them the
use of the mask and the robe in deceiving the deer and told the
wonderful power he had of getting game by shooting into certain bushes.
At dark they sent in two young men to be initiated into his mysteries.
He began by giving them a full account of all his father had done and
all he had shown him; he then taught them how to build the sweat-house,
how to make the mask, how to shoot the pluck, and how to walk like a
deer, and he made them practice the walk and the motions of the animal.
All this occupied eleven days.
29. On the twelfth day the Ute went out to hunt, leaving few men in
camp. There was a small inclosure of brushwood close to the tent; in it
were two high poles on which skins were dressed. His master left him,
that day, two skins to prepare, and he set to work at them and labored
hard scraping and rubbing them until about noon, when he felt hungry and
went into the tent to see if he could find anything to eat. He opened a
bag and found it to contain dried meat; he put some of this on the coals
and sat down to wait till it was done. As he watched the meat cooking he
heard a noise at the deer skin door of the tent and, looking up, he
beheld an old woman crawling in on her hands and knees. She passed once
around the fire and went out at the door again, but before she
disappeared she turned her head and addressed him, saying: "My
grandchild, do something for yourself." He paused a moment in wonder at
the strange vision he had seen and the strange words he had heard, and
then he rushed out of the tent to follow his visitor and see who she
might be. He went around the tent four times; he gazed in every
direction; but no one was to be seen. During the rest of the day he
worked but little. Occasionally he took up a stone and rubbed the hides;
but most of the time he walked and loitered around, busy with his
thoughts.
30. After sunrise the hunters returned with an abundance of meat. They
came to the great lodge where the master of the Navajo dwelt; they
extended its circumference by removing the pegs at the bottom; they
stored the goods of the owner away at the outer edge, so as to leave a
clear space in the center, and made everything ready for the reception
of a large number of guests. After dark a great number gathered in the
tent and the captive was ordered by his master to bring some water. He
took two wicker bottles to a neighboring spring, filled them, and laid
them on the ground beside the spring, while he went to gather some
plants to stick into the mouths of the bottles as stopples. As he went
he heard a voice saying "Hist!" and looking in the direction whence it
came he saw a form sitting in the water; it wore a mask like the head of
a great owl and it was smoking a pipe. When he turned towards it, it
said, "You walk around like one without sense or knowledge. Why don't
you do something for yourself? When next you hear my voice it will be
well for you if you walk towards it."
31. The voice ceased and the form of the owl-man vanished. Then the
Navajo put the stopples into the vessels and carried them back. When he
returned he observed that two large dogs were tied to the door, one on
each side, and that three doors had been added to the lodge during his
absence, so that now there were four doors covering the doorway. When he
entered he found the lodge filled with Ute and he saw four bags of
tobacco and four pipes lying near the fire, one at each cardinal point
of the compass. He observed a very old man and a very old woman seated
at the door, one on each side. A cord tied to the old woman passed round
the edge of the lodge on one side, behind the spectators, to the west,
and another cord, tied to the man, passed round on the opposite side of
the lodge. His master bade him sit down in the west, and when he was
seated one of the cords was tied to his wrists and one to his ankles,
and thus he was secured to the old pair.
[Illustration: FIG. 50.
Qastcèëlçi, from a dry painting of the klèdji-qaçà l.]
32. Now he feared more than ever for his safety; he felt sure that his
captors contemplated his death by torture. The pipes were lit and the
council began. The talking in the strange tongue that he could not
understand had lasted long into the night, when he fancied that he heard
the voice of the Yèbitcai (Anglicized, Yà y-bi-chy or Gay-bi chy) above
the din of human voices, saying "hu`hu`hu`hu" in the far distance. He
strained his attention and listened well, and after a while he felt
certain that he heard the voice again nearer and louder. It was not long
until the cry was repeated for the third time, and soon after the
captive heard it once more, loudly and distinctly, immediately to the
west of the lodge. Then there was a sound as of footsteps at the door,
and the white lightning entered through the smoke-hole and circled
around the lodge, hanging over the heads of the council. But the Ute
heard not the voice which the Navajo heard and saw not the vision he
beheld. Soon the Yà ybichy (Qastcèëlçi) entered the lodge and standing on
the white lightning, said: "What is the matter with you, my grandchild?
You take no thought about anything. Something you must do for yourself,
or else, in the morning you will be whipped to death--that is what the
council has decided. Pull out four pegs from the bottom of the tent,
push it open there, and then you can shove things through." The Navajo
answered, "How shall I do it! See the way I am tied! I am poor! See how
I am wound up!" But Qastcèëlçi again said: "When you leave, take with
you those bags filled with embroideries and take with you tobacco from
the pouches near the fire." Scarcely had Qastcèëlçi disappeared when the
Navajo heard a voice overhead, and a bird named qocçò¢i flew down
through the smoke-hole, hovered four times around the lodge over the
heads of the Ute, and departed by the way it had entered. In a moment
after it had disappeared a few of the Ute began to nod and close their
eyes; soon the others showed signs of drowsiness; some stretched
themselves out on the ground overpowered with sleep; others rose and
departed from time to time, singly and in little groups, to seek their
lodges and repose there. The last to drop asleep were the old man and
the old woman who sat at the door; but at length their chins fell upon
their bosoms. Then the Navajo, fearing no watchers, went to work and
loosened the cords that bound him; he lifted, from the inside, some of
the pegs which held the edge of the tent, and shoved out the two bags of
embroideries which Qastcèëlçi had told him to take. Passing out through
the door of the lodge, where he found both the watch-dogs sound asleep,
and taking with him the cords with which he had been tied and some of
the tobacco, he went round to the back of the lodge, where he had put
the bags; these he tied with the cords in such a manner that they would
make an easily balanced double bundle. He shouldered his bundle and was
all ready to start.
33. At this moment he heard, at a little distance to the south of where
he stood, the hoot of an owl. Instantly recollecting the words of the
owl-like form which he had encountered at the spring at nightfall, he
set off in the direction from which the call proceeded. He had not
walked far until he came to a precipitous bluff formed by two branching
cañons, and it seemed at first impossible for him to proceed farther.
Soon, however, he noticed a tall spruce tree, which grew beside the
precipice from the foot to the summit, for the day had now begun to dawn
and he could see objects more clearly. At this juncture Qastcèëlçi again
appeared to him and said: "How is it, my grandchild, that you are still
here? Get on the top of that spruce tree and go down into the cañon on
it." The Navajo stretched out his hand to seize the top of the tree, but
it swayed away from his grasp. "See, my grandfather," he said to
Qastcèëlçi, "it moves away from me; I cannot reach it." Then Qastcèëlçi
flung the white lightning around the top of the tree, as an Indian
flings his lasso around the neck of a horse, and drew it in to the edge
of the cliff. "Descend," he commanded the Indian, "and when you reach
the bottom take four sprays from the tree, each from a different part.
You may need them in the future." So the Navajo went down, took the four
sprays as he was bidden and put them under his robe.
34. At the base of the bluff he again met Qastcèëlçi, and at this moment
he heard a noise, as of a great and distant tumult, which seemed to come
from above and from beyond the edge of the cliff whence they had
descended. From moment to moment it grew louder and came nearer, and
soon the sounds of angry voices could be distinguished. The Ute had
discovered the flight of their captive and were in hot pursuit. "Your
enemies are coming for you," said the divine one; "but yonder small
holes on the opposite side of the cañon are the doors of my dwelling,
where you may hide. The bottom of the cañon is strewn with large rocks
and fallen trees; it would take you much time and hard labor to get over
these if I did not help you; but I will do something to make your way
easy."--As he said this he blew a strong breath, and instantly a great
white rainbow spanned the cañon. The Navajo tried to step on this in
order to cross, but it was so soft that his feet went through; he could
not step on it. Qastcèëlçi stood beside him and laughed at his fruitless
attempts to get on the rainbow. After he had enjoyed this sport
sufficiently the ye (Anglicized, gay or yay) blew another strong breath,
when at once the rainbow became as hard as ice and they both crossed it
with ease. When they reached the opposite wall of the cañon Qastcèëlçi
pointed to a very small hole in the cliff and said, "This is the door of
my lodge; enter!" By this time the shouts of the Ute sounded very loud
in the ears of the terrified fugitive and it seemed to him that his
pursuers must have reached the edge of the opposite cliff, where they
would not be long before they would see him; still, hard as he tried to
enter the cave, he could not succeed; the hole was not big enough for
him to put his head in. The YÃ ybichy roared with laughter and slapped
his hands together as he witnessed the abject fear and the fruitless
efforts of the Navajo. When he had laughed enough he blew on the little
hole and it spread instantly into a large orifice, through which they
both entered with ease. They passed through three rooms and stopped in
the fourth. Here Qastcèëlçi took the bags from the back of the Navajo,
opened them, and drew from them some beautifully garnished
clothing--a pair of moccasins, a pair of long-fringed leggings, and a
shirt. He arrayed himself in these and went out, leaving the Navajo in
the cave. As soon as his rescuer was gone the fugitive heard loud noises
without and the sound of many angry voices, which continued for a long,
long time. At last they died away and were heard no more. The Ute had
tracked him to the edge of the cliff where he got on the tree; but there
they lost his trail and searched all the neighborhood to see if they
could regain it; hence the noises. When all was silent Qastcèëlçi
returned and said, "Your enemies have departed; you can leave in
safety." So, taking a tanned elk skin to cover his back and a pair of
new moccasins to protect his feet, the Navajo set out from the cave.
35. It was nightfall when he emerged. He turned his face in the
direction of his home and walked rapidly all the night. As day dawned he
began to feel hopeful; but, ere the sun rose, distant sounds, which grew
louder and louder, reached his ear. He knew them to be the voices of his
pursuers and again he became sorely afraid. He hurried on and came near
the foot of a high isolated pinnacle of rock, whose top appeared to be
inaccessible. Glancing to the summit, however, he beheld standing there
a black mountain sheep. Thinking that this singular vision was sent to
him as a sign from the yays (gods) and boded well for him, he came to
the base of the rock, when the sheep addressed him, saying: "My
grandson, come around to the other side of the rock and you will find a
place where you may ascend." He went around as he was bidden and saw the
cleft in the rock, but it was too narrow for him to climb in it. Then
the sheep blew into the cleft and it spread out so wide that he entered
it easily and clambered to the summit. Here he found the sheep standing
in four tracks, marked or sunken in the rock, one hoof in each track,
and under the center of his body was a small hole in the rock. Into this
hole the sheep bade him enter; but he replied that the hole was too
small. Then the sheep blew on the hole and it spread so wide open that
both the man and the sheep entered easily and descended into the heart
of the rock. Here there were again four apartments; two of them were
blue and two were black; rainbows extended in all directions through
them. In the fourth room, which was black, the sheep left the Navajo to
rest, and departed. Soon the fugitive heard, as on the previous day,
when he lay hidden in the cave of Qastcèëlçi, the voices of the angry
Ute calling and haranguing all around the rock, and he continued to hear
them for a very long time. Soon after the clamor ceased the sheep
returned to him to notify him that his enemies had withdrawn and that he
could set out on his journey again without fear.
36. He journeyed homeward all the night, and when daylight began to
appear he found himself on the banks of the stream where the Ute slept
the night before they reached their tents, when they bore him home a
captive. Here again he heard in the distance the voices of his pursuers
and he hastened his steps. Presently he met a little old man sitting on
the ground and cleaning cactus fruit. The old man had a sharp nose,
little bright eyes, and a small moustache growing on each side of his
upper lip. At once the Navajo recognized him as the Bushrat (_Neotoma
mexicana_). The latter asked the traveler where he came from. "Oh, I am
just roaming around here," was the answer. But the rat, not satisfied,
repeated his question three times, in a manner which gave the Navajo to
understand that his answer was not credited. So at last he answered
truthfully that he was a Navajo who had been captured by the Ute, and
that he was fleeing homeward from his captors, who were at that moment
close behind him in pursuit. "It is well," said the rat, "that you have
told me this, for I think I can save you. On yonder hillside there is a
flat rock, and round about it are piled many little sticks and stones.
It is my home, and I will guide you thither." He led the Indian to the
rock and, showing him a small hole under it, bade him stoop low and
place his head near the hole. As the Navajo obeyed the rat blew a strong
breath on the hole, which at once opened wide enough to let the visitor
in. The rat followed immediately behind him as he entered. Inside of the
den there were an old woman, two young men, and two young women. These
constituted the family of the Bush-rat, who left the den as soon as the
stranger was safely housed. Soon the voices of the pursuing Ute were
again heard around the rock and at the mouth of the den, and the Navajo
sat a long time in silence listening to them. After a while the rat
woman said to him, "You seem to be tired and hungry. Will you have
something to eat?" and he answered, "Yes; I am very hungry and would
like some food." On hearing this she went into one corner of her
dwelling, where were many chips and bones and shells of seeds and skins
of fruits, and she brought him some of these and offered them to him;
but at this moment the wind god whispered into his ear and warned him
not to partake of the refuse; so he said to the woman; "My mother, I can
not eat these things." Then she went to another corner of the den, where
there was another pile of debris; but again the wind god prompted him
and again he refused. After this she visited in turn two other piles of
trash in the corners of her lodge and tried to make him accept it as
food, but he still rejected it. Now, while he had been sitting in the
lodge he had not failed to look around him, and he had observed a long
row of wicker jars standing at one side. At one end of the row was a
black vessel and at the other end a white vessel. When she at length
asked him, "What food is it that you would have, my son?" the wind god
whispered to him, "Ask her for that which is in the jars at the end of
the row," and he replied, "I will take some food from the black jar and
some from the white jar." She removed the stopples from the jars. From
the black vessel she took nuts of the piñon and fruit of the yucca and
from the white vessel she took cherries and cactus fruit, all of which
he received in the folded corner of his elk robe. He was just about to
partake of some of the nice fruit when again he heard the low voice of
the wind god. This time it said, "Eat not the food of the rats in the
home of the rats, if you would not become a rat; wait till you go out
to-night." Much, as he longed for the food, after hearing this, he
tasted it not, but held it in the fold of the elk skin. Late in the day
they were all astonished by hearing a loud rattling noise at the mouth
of the cave, and, looking in that direction, saw the end of a big stick,
which was thrust viciously from time to time into the opening and poked
around in different directions; but it was not long enough to reach to
the place where they sat. "What is that?" said the woman. "Oh," answered
the Navajo, "that is the Ute, who have trailed me to this hole and hope
to kill me by poking that stick in here." The old rat watched from a
secret place outside all the actions of the Ute, and when he came home
at night he asked his family if the stick had hurt any of them. "We saw
only the end of it," they replied. He then turned to the Navajo and
said, "Your pursuers have disappeared; you may go out without fear."
37. He trudged wearily on all night, and at dawn he was beside the high
volcanic rocks at Ãòtsosi, another place where his captors had halted
with him. There is one place where the rocky wall is quite smooth. As he
was passing this place he heard a voice saying, "Sh!" He looked all
around him, but saw nothing that could have made the sound. He was about
to pass on when he again heard the voice, and, looking around, he again
saw no one. The fourth time that this happened, however, he observed in
the smooth part of the rock a door standing open and a little animal
called Kleyatcini looking out at him. As he stood gazing at the sharp
nose and the bright eyes the distant voices of his pursuers sounded
again in his ears and the little animal bade him enter and hide himself.
As the Navajo entered the Kleyatcini passed out and closed the door
behind him. The fugitive was not long in his place of concealment when
the clamor made by the foiled pursuers was again heard, but it ceased
sooner than usual. It was not yet sunset when the little animal returned
to announce that the Ute had gone from the neighborhood. When the Navajo
stepped out of the hole in the rock, Kleyatcini pointed out to him the
mountains in which his home lay and counseled him to travel directly
towards them.
38. He pursued his way in the direction indicated to him all night, and
at break of day he found himself walking between a pair of low hills of
clay which stood close together, and once more he heard behind him the
voices of his enemies and the trampling of their horses. But now his
good friend Qastcèëlçi appeared to him and said to him: "My grandchild,
are you still here? Have you come only thus far?" "I am here," cried the
Navajo, "and oh, my grandfather, I could do no better. Look at my limbs!
See how sore and swollen they are! I am exhausted and feel that I cannot
flee much farther before my enemies." "Go, then," said Qastcèëlçi, "to
that hill which is the farther from us and climb to the top of it; but,
when you are taking the very last step which will place you on the
summit, shut your eyes as you make that step." The Navajo hastened to
the hill, and, weary as he was, he soon ascended it. As he lifted his
foot to take the last step he closed his eyes, as the yay had bidden
him. When he felt his foot again on the earth he opened his eyes, and
lo! instead of having a little hill under his feet, he stood on the
summit of a great mountain peak, seamed with deep cañons, bordered with
rugged rocks, and clothed with great forests of pine and spruce; while
far away on the plain at the foot of the mountain--so far that he could
scarcely discern them--were his baffled pursuers, and beside him stood
Qastcèëlçi. The latter pointed out to him many familiar places in the
distance--the valley of the San Juan, and Dsilyi`-qojòni (Beautiful in
the Mountains), where he and his people first lived. He rested securely
on the mountain top all day.
39. At sunset he went on his way again. When daylight began to appear he
crossed the San Juan. Soon after, while journeying on over an open
plain, he once more heard the Ute on his trail. He now felt very sad and
hopeless, for his limbs were so stiff and swollen that every motion gave
him pain and he could hardly drag himself along. But at this moment he
became conscious that he was not alone, and glancing to one side he saw
Niltci, the wind god, walking with him. And Niltci brought a great dark
whirlwind, which roared a moment beside them and then buried its point
in the ground and dug a deep hole there; it dug a cavern with four
chambers. Then dark clouds gathered and rain began to fall. "Have you
anything with you that may help you?" asked the god. "I have nothing,"
said the Navajo, "but four sprays of spruce, which the YÃ ybichy bade me
pluck from the tree on which I descended into the cañon the night I left
the Ute camp." "They will do," said the wind god. "Make quickly four
balls of mud and thrust through each ball a twig of the spruce, and lay
them on the ground so that the tops of the twigs will point towards your
enemies." The Navajo did as he was commanded. Then Niltci blew the twigs
and mud balls in the direction of the pursuers and told the Navajo to
descend into the retreat which the whirlwind had formed. He went down
and rested secure, while he heard overhead great peals of thunder, the
loud rushing of the tempest, and the heavy pattering of enormous
hailstones, to bring which the mud balls had been made. The noises of
the storm died away, and about midday Niltci came into the cave and said
to the man: "Come forth; your enemies have been dispersed. Many have
been killed by the hail, and the rest have gone towards their homes."
Then the Navajo came up out of the ground and set out in the direction
of his old home at Dsilyi`-qojòni.
40. It was about sunset when he reached the top of the mountain. The
snow began to fall heavily and a strong wind began to blow. He walked on
to the western brow of the mountain, where there was a great precipice.
Here the storm blew with such violence that he could scarcely stand, and
yet the precipice was so steep that he did not see how he could get
down. But soon, as on a former occasion of this kind, he discovered a
spruce tree which grew against the side of the precipice, and at the
same time Qastcèëlçi appeared to him again and directed him to go down
on the spruce tree. He did so, and when he reached the bottom he found
the yay there awaiting him. He addressed Qastcèëlçi: "Oh, my
grandfather, I am tired and sore and sleepy. I would like to lie down
under this tree and sleep." But the god answered, "Go, my grandchild, to
yonder fire and rest," and he pointed to a distant gleam on the side of
a mountain which lay beyond a very deep valley. "No, my grandfather,"
cried the Navajo, "I am weary and my limbs are sore and weak; I can not
travel so far." "I will help you," said the yay, and as he spoke he
spanned the valley with a flash of lightning, over which he led the man
to the distant mountain. They reached it at a point close to the fire;
but the moment they stood again on the firm earth Qastcèëlçi and the
fire vanished. The man was bewildered and at a loss what to do. He
walked around the mountain a short distance and then changed his mind
and walked back to the place from which he started. Here he found
Qastcèëlçi awaiting him. The yay spoke not a word, but pointed down into
the valley and led the way thither. At the bottom of the valley they
came to a great hole in the ground; the yay pointed in and again led the
way. As they advanced into the cave the air grew warmer. In a little
while they discovered a bright fire on which there was no wood. Four
pebbles lay on the ground together: a black pebble in the east, a blue
one in the south, a yellow one in the west, and a white one in the
north; from these the flames issued forth. Around the fire lay four
bears, colored and placed to correspond with the pebbles. When the
strangers approached the fire the bears asked them for tobacco, and when
the former replied that they had none the bears became angry and thrice
more demanded it. When the Navajo fled from the Ute camp he had helped
himself from one of the four bags which the council was using and had
taken a pipe, and these he had tied up in his skin robe; so when the
fourth demand was made he filled the pipe and lighted it at the fire. He
handed the pipe to the black bear, who, taking but one whiff, passed it
to the blue bear and immediately fell senseless. The blue bear took two
whiffs and passed the pipe, when he too fell over in a state of
unconsciousness. The yellow bear succumbed after the third whiff, and
the white bear, in the north, after the fourth whiff. Now the Navajo
knocked the ashes and tobacco out of his pipe and rubbed the latter on
the feet, legs, abdomen, chest, shoulders, forehead, and mouth of each
of the bears in turn, and they were at once resuscitated. He replaced
the pipe in the corner of his robe. When the bears recovered they
assigned to the Navajo a place on the east side of the fire where he
might lie all night, and they brought out their stores of corn meal and
tciltcin and other berries and offered them to him to eat; but
Qastcèëlçi warned him not to touch the food and again disappeared. So,
hungry as he was, the Indian lay down supperless to sleep. When he woke
in the morning the bears again offered food, which he again declined,
saying he was not hungry. Then they showed him how to make the bear
kethà wns, or sticks to be sacrificed to the bear gods, and they drew
from one corner of the cave a great sheet of cloud, which they unrolled,
and on it were painted the forms of the yays of the cultivated plants.
As he departed the bears said, "There are others in these parts who have
secrets to tell you. Yonder is Tsenástci, where many dwell." So he set
forth for Tsenástci (Circle of Red Stones.)
41. As he passed down the valley he heard a loud rushing noise be hind
him, and looking around he beheld a tornado. The air was filled with
logs and uprooted trees, borne along by the great storm. It came nearer
and seemed to be advancing to destroy him. He was terrified and cried
out to the storm: "Ciyèïcçe, Dsilyi` Neyáni. Quaïláçi?" ("'Tis I, Reared
Within the Mountains. Who art thou?") The tempest recognized him and
subsided, and in its place appeared four men in the shape of the glòï or
weasel. The four weasel men showed him how to make the glòï-bikeçan, or
sacrificial sticks of the glòï. What name the Navajo bore before this
time the ancient tale does not tell us; but from the moment he said
these words he was called among the gods Dsilyi` Neyáni, and was
afterwards known by this name among his people.
42. After this adventure he continued on his way to Tsenástci. He had
not journeyed far when he met the wind god, who said to him: "Those whom
you will meet at Tsenástci are evil ones; therefore I will be with you
and will walk before you." When they came to Tsenástci they found a hole
in the rocks guarded by two great rattlesnakes, one on each side, and
covered by two piñon trees, for a door. When the travelers drew near,
the serpents showed signs of great anger, and when the former approached
the door the reptiles shook their rattles violently, thrust out their
tongues, and struck at the intruders as though they would bite them; but
they did not bite. Niltci thrust aside the piñon trees; he and his
companions entered, and, when they had passed within, the piñon trees,
moving of their own accord, closed the entrance behind them. Within they
encountered a bald headed old man who had only a little tuft of hair
over each ear. This was Klictsò, the Great Serpent. He asked Niltci who
his human companion was, and the wind god answered that he was a Navajo
who had been captured by the Ute, but had escaped from them and had
suffered many hardships. On hearing this Klictsò showed the Indian how
to make the kethà wns, now known to the Navajo shamans as
klictsò-bikeçan, or sacrificial sticks of the Great Serpent, and he told
him how to plant these sacrifices.
43. From the home of Klictsò they went to a place called Tse`binà yol
(Wind Circles Around a Rock). When they drew near the place they heard
loud peals of thunder and the lightning struck close to them in four
different places. They were now approaching the home of the lightning
gods; this is why destruction by the thunderbolt seemed to threaten
them. Then the Navajo spoke to the lightning, as he had formerly spoken
to the whirlwind, saying, "'Tis I, Reared Within the Mountains. Who art
thou?" whereat the thunder and the lightning ceased, and the travelers
walked on until they entered a house of black clouds, inside of a
mountain, which was the house of I`¢nì`, the Lightning. He was bald,
like the Great Serpent, having only a little tuft of hair over each ear.
At each of the four sides of the room where I`¢nì` sat was a lightning
bird; that in the east was black, that in the south was blue, that in
the west, yellow, and that in the north, white. From time to time the
birds flashed lightning from their claws to the center of the room where
the god sat, and the lightning was of the same color as the bird that
emitted it. When the travelers entered I`¢nì` said to Niltci, "Who is
this that you have brought with you?" The latter answered, "It is a
Navajo who has been a captive with the Ute and has escaped. He has
suffered much. See how his knees and ankles are swollen." Then the
Lightning showed him two kethà wns, such as the shamans now sacrifice
under the name of I`¢nì`-bikeçan, or sacrificial sticks of the
lightning, and, having instructed him how to make and to plant these, he
bade his visitors depart.
44. The next place they reached on their journey was Sà ï byitsòzi
(Narrow Sand Hills). They entered the hill and came to the house of
Ka¢lùgi, the Butterfly, a dwelling filled with butterflies and rainbows.
They found Ka¢lùgi and his wife sitting there, and also Atsòs-bebagà ni
(House of Feathers), who wore black leggings. Here Niltci disappeared
and the woman had to put her questions to the Navajo. She inquired, as
the others had done, who he was, and he briefly told her his story. She
arose, went out, and presently returned with a large basin made of a
beautiful white shell; this was filled with water and soap root. She
laid it before the Navajo, saying, "You are about to visit some fair and
beautiful people, and it is proper that you should bathe your body and
wash your hair well." When he had finished his bath he of the house of
feathers took fine corn meal and applied it to the feet, the knees, the
abdomen, and the other parts of the body which are usually touched in
healing ceremonies. Then, under the directions of Atsòs-bebagà ni, the
Navajo rubbed his whole body with meal to dry himself and painted his
face white with glee (white earth}. House of Feathers next brought in
small bundles of the following plants: tcil¢elgÃsi (_Gutierrezia
euthamiæ_), çoikal (_Artemesia trifida_), tséji, and tlo`nasçási
(_Bouteloua hirsuta_), burned them to charcoal, and directed the Indian
to blacken his legs and forearms with this substance. When this was done
he put spots of white on the black, and, in short, painted him as the
akáninili, or courier (Fig. 52) sent out to summon guests to the dance,
is painted to this day in the ceremonies of the dsilyÃdje qaçà l. When
the painting was done Ka¢lùgi Esçáya (Butterfly Woman) took hold of his
hair and pulled it downward and stretched it until it grew in profusion
down to his ankles. Then she pressed and worked his body and face all
over until she molded him into a youth of the most beautiful form and
feature. They gave him fine white moccasins and a collar of beaver skin
with a whistle attached to it; they put the kà basçan, or plumed sticks
to represent wings, on his arms, and altogether dressed and adorned him
as the akáninili is dressed and adorned. The woman gave him white corn
meal mixed with water to eat, and he slept all night in the house of the
butterflies. In the morning the woman (or goddess, as we might better
call her) laid two streaks of white lightning on the ground and bade him
stand on them with one foot on each streak. "Now," she said, "the white
lightning is yours; use it how and when you will." Then she told him to
go to the top of the hill in which their house lay. When he ascended he
found another house on the top, and in it he again met Ka¢lùgi and his
wife, who awaited him there. He observed a streak of white lightning
that spanned a broad valley, stretching from the hill on which he stood
to a distant wooded mountain. "There," said Ka¢lùgi Esçáya, pointing to
the lightning, "is the trail you must follow. It leads to yonder
mountain, which is named Bistcà gi."
45. He followed the lightning trail and soon arrived at the house of
Estsà u-¢igìni (Holy Woman). The house was inside of a black mountain;
but the lightning ended not until it went quite into the dwelling; so he
had only to follow it to find his way in. The door was of trees. Within,
on the east wall hung the sun and on the west wall hung the moon. Here
he was shown the kethà wn which is called Estsà n-¢igìnibikeçà n, or the
sacrificial stick of the holy woman, and was told how to make it and how
to bury it. As he was about to depart from this place two of the wind
gods and the butterfly god appeared to him, and the whole party of four
set out for Tcùckai (Chusca Knoll of our geographers).
46. At this place they entered a house which was inside of the mountain.
It was two stories high; it had four rooms on the first story and four
on the second. It had four doorways, which were covered with trees for
doors; in the east was a black spruce tree, in the south a blue spruce
tree, in the west a yellow spruce tree, and in the north a white shining
spruce tree. Here dwelt four of the Tcikè-cac-nátlehi (Maiden that
Becomes a Bear). Their faces were white; their legs and forearms were
covered with shaggy hair; their hands were like those of human beings;
but their teeth were long and pointed. The first Tcikè-cac-nátlehi, it
is said, had twelve brothers. She learned the art of converting herself
into a bear from the coyote. She was a great warrior and invulnerable.
When she went to war she took out and hid her vital organs, so that no
one could kill her; when the battle was over she put them back in their
places again. The maidens showed him how to make four kethà wns and told
him how to bury them in order to properly sacrifice them.
47. From Tcùckai they went to Ninà -qo¢ezgòç (Valley Surrounded on All
Sides by Hills), near [¢]epéntsa, where they found the house of the
Tsilkè-¢igìni (Holy Young Men), of whom there were four. There were, in
the dwelling, four rooms, which had not smooth walls, but looked like
rooms in a cavern; yet the house was made of water. A number of plumed
arrows (kátso-yisçà n) were hanging on the walls, and each young man
(standing one in the east, one in the south, one in the west, and one in
the north) held such an arrow in his extended right hand. No kethà wn was
given him; but he was bidden to observe well how the holy young warriors
stood, that he might imitate them in the rites he should establish
amongst men.
48. The next place they visited was Tse`ça-iskági (Rock that Bends
Back), where they entered a house, striped within horizontally of many
colors, and found eight more of the Tsilkè-¢igìni (Holy Young Men). Two
stood at each cardinal point and each one grasped a sapling which he
held over his upturned mouth, as if about to swallow it. One of the
young men addressed him, saying "Do thus. There are eight of us here;
but when you do this in the dance that you will teach your people you
need not have eight young men--six will be enough."
49. From here they went to Tcétcel-hyitsò (Big Oaks), to visit the home
of [¢]igin-yosÃni (yosÃni is a species of squirrel). It was built of
black water-slime (çraçlÃç) and the door was of red sunbeams. On the
east wall hung a big black log; on the south wall, a blue log; on the
west wall, a yellow log; and on the north wall, a white log; in which
logs the squirrels dwelt. Although they were squirrels, they were young
men and young women, and looked very much like one another. All had red
and black stripes on their backs. These taught him how to make and bury
the kethà wns sacred to themselves.
50. Dsilninèla` (Last Mountain) is a conical, sharp pointed eminence,
shaped like a Navajo hogan or lodge. It is black and has white streaks
running down its sides. This was the next place they visited. Within the
mountain was a house, whose door was of darkness and was guarded by
Tcápani (the Bat) and an animal called Ãantsò (of crepuscular or
nocturnal habits). Here dwelt many young men and young women who were
skunks (golÃji), and they taught the Navajo wanderer how to make and how
to bury the kethà wns which are sacred to the skunk.
51. The next place to which they went was Dsil-nikâi-à gi (Mountain
Comes Down Steep), and here they found the place where Glo`dsilkà ï
(Abert's squirrel, _Sciurus aberti_) and Glo`dsiljÃni dwelt. When the
four entered, the squirrels said to them: "What do you want here? You
are always visiting where you are not welcome." The gods replied: "Be
not angry with us. This is a Navajo who was a captive among the Ute, but
he has escaped and has suffered much. I`¢nì` (the Lightning) has bidden
us to take him to the homes of all the ¢igìni (holy ones, supernatural
beings); therefore we have brought him here." "It is well," said the
squirrels; "but he is hungry and must have some food." They brought him
piñon nuts, pine nuts, spruce nuts, and service berries; but the gods
told him not to partake of the nuts or he would be changed into a
squirrel, to eat only of the service berries. When he had finished his
meal, the squirrels showed him how to make two kethà wns and how to bury
them.
52. Now Niltci whispered: "Let us go to Dsilyà -içÃn" (Four Doorways
Under a Mountain), where dwells [¢]asà ni (the Porcupine). His house was
in a black mountain. At the eastern doorway there was a black spruce
tree for a door. On the other sides there were no doors; the entrances
were open. They found here four porcupine gods, two male and two female.
They were colored according to the four cardinal hues. The black one
stood in the east, the blue one in the south, the yellow one in the
west, and the white one in the north. They instructed him concerning the
kethà wns of the porcupines, and they offered him food, which consisted
of the inner bark of different kinds of trees. But again, prompted by
Niltci, he refused the food, saying that he was not able to eat food of
that kind. "It is well," said the porcupines, "and now you may leave
us."
53. "Off in this direction," whispered Niltci, pointing to the
northeast, "is a place called Qo¢estsò (Where Yellow Streak Runs Down).
Let us go thither." Here they entered a house of one room, made of black
water. The door was of wind. It was the home of Tcal-ninéz (Long-Frog),
of ÃoklÃc (Water Snake), of Klickà (Arrow Snake), and of other serpents
and animals of the water. It was called Ahyèqo¢eçi` (They Came
Together), because here the prophet of the dsilyÃdje qaçà l visited the
home of the snakes and learned something of their mysteries. The
ceremonies sacred to these animals belong to another dance, that of the
qojòni-qaçà l (chant of terrestrial beauty); but in the mysteries learned
in Ahyèqo¢eçi` the two ceremonies are one. Here he was instructed how to
make and to sacrifice four kethà wns. To symbolize this visit of Dsilyi`
Neyáni and this union of the two ceremonies, the first sand picture is
made. (See Plate XV.)
54. The next place they visited was Açà nkikè, where there was a house
built of the white rock crystal, with a door made of all sorts of
plants. It was called Tsegà ¢iniçini-behogan (House of Rock Crystal) and
was the home of Tcikè-¢igìni (Supernatural Young Woman, or Young Woman
Goddess), who was the richest of all the ¢igìni. In the middle of the
floor stood a large crystal in the shape of a kethà wn. Just as they were
entering, Qastcèëlçi, who had disappeared from the Navajo's sight at the
house of the bears, here rejoined him, and the party now numbered five.
The apartment, when they came into it, was very small, but Qastcèëlçi
blew on the walls, which extended thereat until the room was one of
great size. The goddess showed the Navajo how to make two kethà wns and
directed him how to dispose of them.
55. Thence they journeyed to Tsitsè-intyèli (Broad Cherry Trees), where,
in a house of cherries with a door of lightning, there lived four gods
named Dsilyi` Neyáni (Reared Within the Mountains). The Navajo was
surprised to find that not only had they the same name as he had, but
that they looked just like him and had clothes exactly the same as his,
His companions said to him: "These are the gods in whose beautiful form
the Butterfly goddess has molded you. These are the gods whose name you
bear." The hosts bade their visitors be seated, and they ranged
themselves around the fire, one at each of the cardinal points. Each
held an arrow made of the cliff rose (_Cowania mexicana_) in his
extended right hand. The head of the arrow was of stone, the fletching
of eagle feathers, and the "breath feather" of the downy plume of the
Tsenáhale (the Harpy of Navajo mythology). As they held the arrows they
ejaculated, "ai`, ai`, ai`, ai`," as they who dance the kátso-yisçà u do
in the ceremonies to this day, and after the fourth ai` each one
swallowed his arrow, head foremost, until the fletching touched his
lips. Then he withdrew the arrow and they said: "Thus do we wish the
Navajo to do in the dance which you will teach them; but they must take
good care not to break off the arrowheads when they swallow and withdraw
them." Such is the origin of the dance of the kátso-yisçà n, or great
plumed arrow. As they bade him good-bye, one of them said to the Navajo:
"We look for you," i.e., "We expect you to return to us," an intimation
to him that when he left the earth he should return to the gods, to
dwell among them forever.
56. From this place they journeyed on until they reached Açà dsil (Leaf
Mountain), and found the house that was made of dew-drops
([¢]açò-behogan) and that had a door made of plants of many different
kinds. This was the home of the Bitsès-ninéz (Long Bodies), who were
goddesses. When they rose, as the strangers entered, the plumes on their
heads seemed to touch the heavens, they were so very tall. The goddesses
said to Dsilyi` Neyáni, "We give you no kethà wn, but look at us well and
remember how we appear, for in your ceremonies you must draw our
picture; yet draw us not, as we now stand, in the east, the south, the
west, and the north; but draw us as if we all stood in the east." This
is the origin of the second picture that is painted on the sand.
(Plate XVI.)
57. Leaving the House of Dew they proceeded to Ãonakà ï (White Water
Running Across). This was a stream which ran down the side of a hill and
had its source in a great spring. Immediately above this spring was the
home of Qastcèëlçi. The latter, as they approached his home, stopped at
the foot of the hill and four times ordered his companions to go in
advance; but four times they refused. After the last refusal Qastcèëlçi
clapped his hands, uttered his cry of "hu`hu`hu`hu`!" and led the way.
The house was of corn pollen; the door was of daylight; the ceiling was
supported by four white spruce trees; rainbows ran in every direction
and made the house shine within with their bright and beautiful colors.
Neither kethà wn nor ceremony was shown the Navajo here; but he was
allowed to tarry four nights and was fed with an abundance of white corn
meal and corn pollen.
58. Now Qastcèëlçi took him to a place called Lejpáhiço (Brown Earth
Water) and led him to the top of a high hill, from which they could see
in the far distance Gángiço, where the prophet's family dwelt; for they
had moved away from the valley in [¢]epéntsa, where he left them. Then
the yay showed him the shortest road to take and bade him return to his
people.
59. When he got within sight of his house his people made him stop and
told him not to approach nearer until they had summoned a Navajo shaman.
When the latter, whose name was Red Queue, came, ceremonies were
performed over the returned wanderer, and he was washed from head to
foot and dried with corn meal; for thus do the Navajo treat all who
return to their homes from captivity with another tribe, in order that
all alien substances and influences may be removed from them. When he
had been thus purified he entered the house and his people embraced him
and wept over him. But to him the odors of the lodge were now
intolerable and he soon left the house and sat outside. Seeing this, the
shaman gave it as his opinion that the purification already made was not
sufficient, and that it would be well to have a great dance over him. In
those days the Navajo had a healing dance in the dark corral; but it was
imperfect, with few songs and no kethà wns or sacrificial sticks. It was
not until Dsilyi` Neyáni recounted his revelations that it became the
great dance it now is among the Navajo.
60. It was agreed that before the dance began Dsilyi` Neyáni should be
allowed four days and four nights in which to tell his story and that
the medicine man should send out a number of young men to collect the
plants that were necessary for the coming ceremony. For four nights and
for four days he was busy in relating his adventures and instructing his
hearers in all the mysteries he had learned in the homes of the ¢igìni.
Then they built the medicine lodge and got all things ready for the new
rites and for the purification of the one who had returned. The shaman
selected from among the plants brought him by the young men such as he
thought would best cleanse his patient of all the strange food he had
taken among the alien Indians and in the houses of the supernatural ones
whom he had visited. On the first day he gave him pine and spruce; on
the second day, big and little willows; on the third day, a plant called
litci and the aromatic sumac; on the fourth day, cedar and piñon. Of
these the prophet drank cold and hot infusions in the morning by the
fire.
61. During these four days the ceremonies which Dsilyi` Neyáni had
introduced were in progress. On the fifth day it was proposed they
should send out the akáninili (meal sprinkler) or courier to invite
their neighbors to the great dance. There were two couriers to be sent:
one was to go to the north, to a place called Ãògojilá` (Much Grease
Wood), to invite some friendly bands of Ute, some distant bands of
Navajo, and some Jicarilla who dwelt there; the other was to go to the
south, to Tse`lakà [-i]-silà (Where Two White Rocks Lie), to ask the
Southern Apache, the White Mountain Apache, the Cohonino, and a tribe
called [¢]ildjèhe, to attend. To the camp in the north it was a journey
of two days and two nights, and it would take the fleetest runner the
same time to return. To the home of their neighbors in the south it was
as far. As these long journeys must be made on foot and running, they
could not find a single young man in the camp who would volunteer for
the task. The men counseled about the difficulty all day and tried much
persuasion on the youths, but none were found willing to make either
journey.
62. As night approached an old woman entered the medicine lodge and
said: "I will send my grandson as an akáninili." This old woman's lodge
was not far from where the medicine lodge was built and all present knew
her grandson well. Whenever they visited her lodge he was always lying
on the ground asleep; they never saw him go abroad to hunt, and they all
supposed him to be lazy and worthless; so when she made her offer they
only looked at one another and laughed. She waited awhile, and getting
no response she again offered the services of her grandson, only to
provoke again laughter and significant looks. A third and a fourth time
she made her proposal, and then she said: "Why do you not at least
answer me? I have said that I will let my grandson take your messages to
one of these camps and you laugh at me and thank me not. Why is this?"
Hearing her words, the chief medicine man, who came from a distant camp
and did not know her, asked the men who were present who the woman was
and what sort of a young man her grandson was; but again the men laughed
and did not answer him either. He turned to the old woman and said:
"Bring hither your grandson, that I may see him." The woman answered:
"It is already late; the night is falling and the way is long. It is of
no use for you to see him to-night; let us wait until the morning."
"Very well," said the shaman; "bring him at dawn to-morrow." She left
the lodge promising to do as she was bidden; and the moment she was gone
the long suppressed merriment of the men broke forth. They all laughed
inordinately, made many jokes about the lazy grandson, and told the
medicine man that there was no use in sending such a person with the
message when the best runners among them did not dare to undertake the
journey. "He is too weak and lazy to hunt," said they; "he lives on
seeds and never tastes flesh."
63. As soon as there was light enough in the morning to discern objects,
a man who was looking out of the door of the medicine lodge cried out,
"He comes," and those inside laughed and waited. Presently Tlà ¢esçìni
(such was the name of the old woman's grandson) entered and sat down
near the fire. All looked at him in astonishment. When last they saw him
his hair was short and matted, as if it had not been combed or washed
for three years, and his form was lean and bent. Now he appeared with
thick glossy locks that fell below his knee; his limbs were large and
firm looking; he held his head erect and walked like a youth of courage;
and many said to one another, "This cannot be the same man." In a little
while another young man named Indsiskà ï (Radiating White Streaks), as
fair and robust as the first, entered and sat down by the fire on the
side opposite to where Tlà ¢esçìni sat. The white earth and the charcoal
for painting the akáninili were already prepared; so some of the young
men in the lodge, when they beheld this pair of fine couriers, arose
without a word of debate and began to paint the latter and to adorn
their persons for the journey. When the toilet was done, the medicine
man sent the couriers forth with many messages and injunctions and told
them to blow on their whistles four times before they got out of hearing
of the lodge. Tlà ¢esçìni went to the north and Indsiskà ï to the south,
and they walked so slowly that all the spectators again laughed and made
merry, and many said: "They will never reach the camps whither we have
sent them." They passed out of sight just before the sun rose. Those who
remained in camp prepared to amuse themselves. They cleared the ground
for the game of ná[n]joj, and brought out their sticks and hoops. Some
said: "We will have plenty of time for play before the couriers return."
Others said: "At yonder tree we saw Tlà ¢esçìni last. I suppose if we
went there now we would find him asleep under it."
64. About the middle of the afternoon, while they were playing their
games, one looked to the north, and, at a distance, he saw one of the
messengers approaching them, and he cried out, "Here comes Tlà ¢esçìni;
he has wakened from his sleep and is coming back for something to eat."
A moment later Indsiskà ï was announced as approaching from the south.
They both reached the door of the medicine lodge at the same time; but
Tlà ¢esçìni entered first, handed his bag to the medicine man, and sat
down in the same place where he sat when he entered in the morning.
Indsiskà ï followed and, handing his bag to the shaman, sat down opposite
his companion. Now, many who were without thronged into the lodge to
enjoy the sport, and they laughed and whispered among themselves; but
the couriers were grave and silent, and, while the medicine man opened
the bags, they took off their ornaments and washed the paint from their
bodies. In the bag of Tlà ¢esçìni were found four ears of léjyip[)e]j
(corn baked in the husk underground). They were still hot from the fire,
and the shaman broke them into fragments and passed the pieces around.
From the bag of Indsiskà ï two pieces of noçá` (the hard sugar of the
maguey), such as the Apache make, were taken. When the young men had
finished cleaning themselves, they passed out in silence, without a
glance for any one.
65. At nightfall they returned to the lodge, and entering, sat down in
the west, one on each side of the medicine man, and Tlà ¢esçìni addressed
him, saying: "When we came to the lodge this afternoon, we did not give
you an account of our journeys because the people who are with you are
fools, who laughed when we came home from the long journey which they
feared to undertake; but now we have come to tell you our
adventures. I," continued Tlà ¢esçìni, "went to the north. On my way I
met another messenger who was traveling from a distant camp to this one
to call you all to a dance in a circle of branches of a different kind
from ours. When he learned my errand he tried to prevail on me to return
hither and put off our dance till another day, so that we might attend
their ceremony and that they in turn might attend ours; but I refused,
saying our people were in haste to complete their dance. Then we
exchanged bows and quivers as a sign to our people that we had met and
that what we would tell on our return was the truth. You observe that
the bow and quiver I have now are not those with which I left this
morning. We parted, and I kept on my way towards the north. It was yet
early in the day when I reached Ãògojilá`, where the Jicarilla and
friendly Ute were encamped. There I sprinkled meal on the medicine man
and gave him my message. When I arrived they were just opening a pit in
which they had roasted corn, and they gave me the ears which I have
brought home. They promised to be here in our camp at the end of the
third day, which will be the night of our dance."
66. When Tlà ¢esçìni had done speaking, Indsiskà ï gave the following
account of himself: "It was but a little while after sunrise when I
reached Tse`lakà ï-silà and entered the camps of the four tribes. In one
they were just taking some noçá` out of a pit, and they gave me those
pieces which I brought home. I entered the lodge of a medicine man in
each tribe, scattered on him the sacred meal, and announced to him when
our dance would take place. They all promised to be here with their
people on the end of the third day, which will be on the night we hold
our ceremony."
67. When the akáninilis came to tell their adventures to the medicine
man, they were beautifully attired. They wore earrings and necklaces of
turquoise, coral, and rare shells. They had on embroidered blankets of a
kind we see no longer, but the gods wore them in the ancient days. They
rustled like dry leaves. The blanket of one was black and that of the
other was white. When they came out of the medicine lodge they went
around among the huts and inclosures of those who were assembled,
visiting the wives and the sweethearts of the silly men who had laughed
at them in the morning; and everywhere the women smiled on the beautiful
and well dressed youths. The next morning the men laughed and sneered at
them no more, nor whispered in their presence, but glanced at them with
sulky or shamefaced looks. During the day the akáninilis took part in
the game of ná[n]joj with those who once jeered at them, and won many
articles of great value.
68. On the afternoon of the third day following the one on which the
akáninilis made their journeys, a great cloud of dust was observed on
the northern horizon and a similar cloud was seen in the south. They
grew greater and came nearer, and then the invited Indians began to
arrive from both directions. They continued to come in groups until
nightfall, when a great multitude had assembled to witness the dance.
After the guests began to arrive the young men set to work to cut trees
for the corral, and when the sun had set the building of the dark circle
of branches began. While the young men were making the circle the old
men were making speeches to the multitude, for the old men always love
to talk when the young men are hard at work. It was the greatest corral
that has ever been built in the Navajo country. It was as broad as from
Cañon Bonito to "the Haystacks" (a distance of about six miles), yet the
visiting tribes were so numerous that they filled the circle full. In
the mean time the sounds of singing and of the drum were heard all
around, for many different parties of dancers, who were to take part in
the night's entertainment, were rehearsing.
69. There was some delay after the inclosure was finished before the
first dancers made their appearance. A man entered the corral and made a
speech begging the atsáleï, or first dancers, to hasten, as there were
so many parties from a distance who wished to perform during the night.
Soon after he had spoken, the two atsáleï who led in the dance of the
great plumed arrow entered, and after them came six more, and performed
this healing dance over Dsilyi` Neyáni as it is performed to this day.
(See paragraph 131.) When this was concluded various groups from among
the strangers entered, one after another, and conducted their different
alìlis, or shows, which the Navajo then learned and have since practiced
when they sing their songs in the dark circle of branches.
70. When the dance began in the evening there was one of the invited
tribes which, it was noticed, had not arrived. This was the Beqai, or
Jicarilla. The Navajo asked the Ute where the missing ones were, and the
Ute answered that they had passed the Jicarilla on the way; that the
latter were coming, but had stopped to play a game of roulette, or
ná[n]joj, and were thus delayed. Shortly before dawn the Jicarilla came
and entered the corral to exhibit their alìli or show. It was a dance of
the ná[n]joj, for the wands and implements of the dance were the sticks
and wheels used in playing that game.
71. During the night a chief of the Navajo, while walking through the
crowd, observed the grandmother of Tlà ¢esçìni sitting on the ground. He
approached her and said: "Your grandson and his friend have done a great
deed for us; they have made a long journey. Many doubted whether they
had really made it until we saw the multitude gathering in our camp from
the north and from the south in obedience to their summons. Now we know
that they have spoken the truth. Tell me, I beg you, how they did this
wonderful thing." She answered: "They are ¢igini. My grandson for many
years has risen early every morning and run all around Tsòtsil (Mount
Taylor, or San Mateo) over and over again before sunrise. This is why
the people have never seen him abroad during the day, but have seen him
asleep in his hogán. Around the base of Tsòtsil are many tse`ná`djihi
(heaps of sacrificial stones). These were all made by my grandson; he
drops a stone on one of these piles every time he goes round the
mountain."
72. When day began to dawn there were yet several parties who came
prepared to give exhibitions, but had not had a chance; still, at the
approach of day the ceremonies had to cease. At this time, before the
visitors began to leave the corral, the Navajo chief who had spoken with
the grandmother arose and addressed the assembly. He told them all he
knew about the swift couriers and all the grandmother had told him. He
remarked that there were yet many who could not believe that the young
men had made the journey; so, to satisfy all, he proposed that within
twelve days they should have a race between the two fleet akáninili
around the base of Tsòtsil, if all would agree to reassemble to witness
it, and he begged them to invite their neighbors of the Pueblo and other
tribes to come with them. Then other chiefs arose to speak. In the end
the proposition of the Navajo chief was agreed to. All promised to
return within eleven days and decided that the race should take place on
the morning following. Then they dispersed to their homes.
73. On the afternoon of the eleventh day, when they had reassembled
according to their promises, the Navajo chief arose and addressed them.
He invited the chiefs of the other tribes to come forward and complete
the arrangements for the race. So the headmen all came together at the
place where the Navajo was speaking, and, after some consultation, they
agreed that the race should be around the peak of Tsòtsil, but not
around the entire range of mountains. The Navajo separated themselves
into one party and the alien tribes into another, the two parties
standing at a little distance from one another. The aliens were given
the first choice, and they chose Indsiskà ï; therefore Tlà ¢esçìni fell to
the Navajo. Then the betting began. The stakes consisted of strings of
coral, turquoise, and shell beads, of vessels of shells as large as the
earthen basins of the Zuñi, of beautifully tanned buckskins, of dresses
embroidered with colored porcupine quills, and of suits of armor made of
several layers of buckskin. The warriors in those days wore such armor,
but they wear it no longer. The beads and shells were laid in one pile;
the buckskins, the embroidered dresses, and the armor in another; and
the piles were of vast size.
74. The homes of these young men were at Kaç-sakà ¢tsé`çqa (Lone Juniper
Standing Between Cliffs), now Cobero Cañon. There is seen to day a rock
shaped like a Navajo hogán. It stands near the wagon road and not far
from the town of the Mexicans (Cobero). This rock was once the hut where
Tlà ¢esçìni dwelt. Not far from it is another rock of similar appearance,
which once was the home of Indsiskà ï. For this reason the runners were
started at the Lone Juniper. They ran towards the west and five of the
fleetest runners among the assembled Indians set out at the same time to
see how long they could keep up with them. By the time these five men
had reached the spur of the mountain opposite Ãòsaço (Hot Spring, Ojo de
los Gallinos, San Rafael), the two champions were out of sight. Then the
five turned back; but before they could return to the Lone Juniper the
runners had got in and the race was decided. Tlà ¢esçìni had won by about
twice the length of his own body, and all the wagered wealth of the
other nations passed into the hands of the Navajo.
75. When all was done the strangers were dissatisfied; they mourned over
their losses and talked about the whole affair among themselves for a
long time. Finally they decided to give the Navajo another challenge if
the latter would agree to a longer racecourse, which should include all
the foothills of the San Mateo range. The Navajo accepted the challenge
and agreed to have the race at the end of another twelve days. Early on
the eleventh day the strangers began to assemble from all quarters; they
continued to arrive all day, and when night fell they were all in. Then
the headmen addressed them, explaining all the conditions of the
challenge and describing carefully the racecourse decided on. The
betting did not run as high this time as before. The Navajo bet only
about one-half of what they won on the former race. Again they started
the two runners, and in such time as you could just mark that the sun
had moved, they were back at the goal; but this time Indsiskà ï, the
champion of the alien races, won by about the same distance as he had
lost on the previous occasion.
76. Then the strangers were satisfied and said, "We will try no more.
Many of our goods are still with the Navajo; but we have done well to
rescue what we have." One of the wise men among them said, "Yes, you
have done well, for had you lost the second race you would have lost
with it the rain and the sunshine and all that makes life glad." It is
because the Navajo won so much wealth on this occasion that they have
been richer than the neighboring races ever since.
77. The ceremony cured Dsilyi` Neyáni of all his strange feelings and
notions. The lodge of his people no longer smelled unpleasant to him.
But often he would say, "I know I cannot be with you always, for the
yays visit me nightly in my sleep. In my dreams I am once more among
them, and they beg me to return to them."
78. From Lejpáhi¢o the family moved to DsildjoltcÃn¢i (Mountain of
Hatred). Thence they went to Tsinbiláhi (Woods on One Side), and from
there to Tse`yuçáhia` (Standing Rock Above). In this place they encamped
but one night, and next day they moved to [¢]epè-aça¢ (Sheep
Promontory), and went on to [¢]epè-¢asi¢i (One Sheep Lying Down). Here
again they camped for the night. Next day they traveled by Tse`atcà lçali
(Rock Cracked in Two) to Tcoyà jnaskÃç (Hill Surrounded With Young Spruce
Trees), to Nigà qokaï (White Ground), and to Tse`yistci¢ (Dipping Rocks,
i.e., dipping strata), where they stopped to rest for the night. On the
following day they journeyed to Ãosakázi (Cold Water), in which place
they encamped again.
79. When the morning came, Dsilyi` Neyáni said to his younger brother,
"Let us go out and try to shoot some deer, so that we may make beça`
(deer masks), such as we wore in [¢]epéntsa, where we killed so many
deer." The brothers departed on the hunt and came to a place called
Dsil-lÃjin (Black Mountains), and they sat down on the side of the
mountains looking towards Tsòtsil. As they sat there Dsilyi` Neyáni
said, "Younger brother, behold the ¢igìni!" (holy ones); but the younger
brother could see no one. Then he spoke again, "Farewell, younger
brother! From the holy places the gods come for me. You will never see
me again; but when the showers pass and the thunder peals, 'There,' you
will say, 'is the voice of my elder brother,' and when the harvest
comes, of the beautiful birds and grasshoppers you will say 'There is
the ordering of my elder brother.'"
80. As he said these words he vanished. The younger brother looked all
around, and seeing no one he started for his home. When he returned to
his people he told them of the departure of Dsilyi` Neyáni, and they
mourned as for one dead.